Today in the MHSAA: 10/12/15

October 12, 2015

By Geoff Kimmerly
Second Half editor

Some of the most prestigious cross country races of the regular season were run across the state over both peninsulas this weekend as teams continued to gear up for the final month of their 2015 campaigns.

Cross Country

Portage Central hosted what’s annually one of the most competitive invitationals in the state – the girls races by division were won by Division 1 No. 2 Northville, Division 2 No. 2 Grand Rapids Christian, Division 3 No. 5 Lansing Catholic and Division 4 No. 1 Mount Pleasant Sacred Heart – Kalamazoo Gazette

The Portage Central Invitational boys races were won, by division, by Division 1 No. 2 Rockford, Division 2 No. 1 Fremont, Division 3 No. 2 Lansing Catholic and Division 4 No. 1 Saugatuck – Kalamazoo Gazette

The No. 6 Harbor Springs girls and No. 7 boys (both in Lower Peninsula Division 4) swept races at the Sault Ste. Marie Invitational – Petoskey News

The Birmingham Seaholm girls and Novi boys won Oakland County championships Saturday, the Seaholm girls for the fifth straight season – Oakland Press

Boys Soccer

Division 2 No. 11 Coldwater remained undefeated at home this season with a 2-2 draw against No. 2 Mattawan – Coldwater Daily Reporter

Boys Tennis

Charlotte’s Alex Reinbold won his fourth MHSAA Regional title, and this time his team will join him at the Final for the first time in school history – Lansing State Journal

Midland Dow won its Division 2 Regional, and No. 2 singles Michael Szabo added to his MHSAA record for career wins set earlier in the week by also breaking the record for 6-0, 6-0, victories – Midland Daily News

Volleyball

Portage Central won the East Kentwood Invitational over a field that included Class A No. 4 Grand Haven; East Kentwood defeated the Buccaneers in the semifinal after falling to them Thursday – Grand Rapids Press

Today in the MHSAA: 8/24/15

August 24, 2015

By Geoff Kimmerly
Second Half editor

All MHSAA fall sports but football kicked off competition last week, with cross country, boys soccer, girls swimming and diving and volleyball starting Saturday.

Below are some notable headlines from the first weekend of this season, plus links to coverage.

Cross Country

St. Johns hosted its second “Under the Lights” meets Friday; Ithaca’s girls and Saugatuck’s boys bested fields loaded with much larger opponents – Lansing State Journal

The St. Joseph girls and Bridgman boys won championships at the Niles Stampede – the St. Joseph girls, who finished fourth in Lower Peninsula Division 2 last season, by a large margin – St. Joseph Herald-Palladium

Girls Golf

Maple City Glen Lake’s Nichole Cox, last season’s LP Division 4 individual champion, came back to defeat Brighton freshman Annie Pietila at the two-day Lober Invitational at Grand Traverse Resort – Traverse City Record-Eagle

Boys Soccer

Two of the state’s powers met in the championship game of the Detroit Country Day Tournament on Saturday – with 2013 Division 1 runner-up Bloomfield Hills downing the host Yellowjackets 1-0 in a shootout – Oakland Press

Girls Swimming & Diving

Howell won its Kenzie Klassic, which honors swimmer Mackenize Watts, who died in 2005 at age 15. The school also raised enough money to award three scholarships and begin funding cardiac-related causes – Livingston Daily

Volleyball

Novi won the Lakeshore Classic by coming back after losing the first two games to beat Grand Haven 3-2 in a rematch of a 2014 Class A Semifinal – Muskegon Chronicle

Battle Creek Harper Creek, for the first time, won the gold championship at the long-running Carrie Adams Memorial Tournament hosted by reigning Class D champion Battle Creek St. Philip – Battle Creek Enquirer

Good Read

Mike Steele, a Midland Dow grad and now pitching coach at Long Beach State in California, argues that parents need to raise their athletes to compete instead of providing specific training in one sport – Midland Daily News